Press Releases

Allmond’s work with pre-apprenticeship program, “Rosie’s Girls,”  is creating new pathways for women to become electricians

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today announced that her guest for this year’s State of the Union Address to Congress on Thursday, March 7, will be Teila Allmond, pre-apprenticeship coordinator and instructor for ”Rosie’s Girls,” a program designed to expand opportunities, and increase the representation of women in the building and construction trades.

"Rosie's Girls" is supported by Apprentice Training for the Electrical Industry (ATEI) in partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 98. The program serves individuals in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Named after “Rosie the Riveter,” the iconic face of the World War II-era campaign urging women to enter the workforce, the program seeks to familiarize young women with safety, tools, theoretical basics of electrical and telecommunications installation, job site conditions, as well as an introduction to other career paths in the building and construction trades.

Allmond is a seasoned journeyperson and a proud member of IBEW Local 98 in Philadelphia. She currently serves as an Instructor and Recruitment Coordinator for Local 98’s Rosie’s Girls Pre-Apprenticeship Program. Through her leadership, Rosie’s Girls has emerged as a beacon of hope, bringing diversity and inclusivity to the electrical trade. As a result, through the results of Rosie’s Girls and ATEI, Local 98 is seeing more women entering the electrical trade than ever before. 

“As transformational federal investments from the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continue to flow into our region, we need to ensure that the resulting jobs are available to everyone in our community,” said Rep. Scanlon. “These tremendous new investments in our infrastructure will create thousands of good-paying jobs for working and middle-class families, but women, especially women of color, have historically been underrepresented in the industries where the jobs are being created.  We need to create and expand opportunities for women to tap into this once-in-a-generation opportunity — that’s why I’m so proud Teila Allmond will join me as my guest at this year’s State of the Union Address. Through her work with Rosie’s Girls, Teila is leading the way to create and expand pathways for women in the skilled trades.”

“With Rosie’s Girls, we have the opportunity to introduce a rewarding career path and help answer questions like ‘where do I start?’” said Allmond. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to attend this historic event with Congresswoman Scanlon, who has always shown amazing support to the women in our industry. There is so much talent in this city and country, and Rosie the Riveter reminds us of a time when women were at the forefront of what are now considered ‘male-dominant fields.’ The ability to contribute to the electrical industry is not limited based on gender, but instead on the perception of what it means to be a tradesperson. As a young woman from West Philadelphia, I dreamed of a career where I could use my hands to create and my voice to empower others. While I was excited to receive admission offers from institutions like the New York Institute of Technology, financial constraints nudged me to adapt my dreams. In turn, that led me to the decision of applying to the ATEI apprenticeship.This industry has changed my life for the better, and I am proud to be a part of establishing a program that would have helped younger me enter the industry with more confidence that I could succeed.” 

Allmond added, “I had a teacher in the 4th grade that said something that I’ve always carried with me, and I love to share it with the young people that I meet now, ‘Never let anyone tell you that you can’t!’”

Allmond was recently honored with the NECA Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Award for her exceptional commitment to advancing DEIB efforts in the Electrical Construction industry and community. She has participated in panel discussions regarding Women in Apprenticeships through the Apprenticeship Network during National Apprenticeship Week, the ETA Workforce Regional Convening, and the EWMC Annual Leadership Conference. She has also represented the Philly Youth Poetry Movement at Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival.

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